


Sunsets, Siblings, and Seashells

by DakotaTheWhale



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Phantom - Susan Kay
Genre: Daroga - Freeform, Erik - Freeform, Erik Has Feelings, Kay! Erik, Kerik, Nadir - Freeform, Nadir Khan - Freeform, Nadir is a dad, Phantom of the Opera - Freeform, Reza - Freeform, Sibling Bonding, Susan Kay, The Persian - Freeform, beach, but not really, merik - Freeform, poto, slightly dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 00:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19074193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DakotaTheWhale/pseuds/DakotaTheWhale
Summary: Erik, Nadir and Reza all decide to take a day to go to the Mazanderan coastline to relax and unwind.Mostly just sibling bonding but it does get a bit dark. Nothing too bad I promise!





	Sunsets, Siblings, and Seashells

**Author's Note:**

> Holy mother of god this took days to write.
> 
> I just really enjoy sibling bonding and sometimes a bit of peril to tighten that bond <3

Warm Mazandaran sunlight glimmered through the trees above a winding jungle path casting large leafy shadows on the well-worn trail. Two chestnut colored horses meandered down the trail at a steady pace. One horse carried two figures on a joint saddle while the remaining figure guided their horse by foot, seemingly indifferent to the rough muddy terrain.

 

“Erik, you can _ride_ the horse, you know.” The older figure commented from atop his horse.

 

“I am aware, Nadir. I just prefer to walk.”

 

“The rains last week have let this whole path be flooded with mud and you are trudging through inches of it.” Nadir scolded as he veered his horse in front of Erik’s to stop him from proceeding, seeing he had no intention of listening to his words. “Might I also remind you that those shoes cost a good amount of money as well!”

 

“Weren’t these technically _given_ to me by the khanum?” he remarked.

 

“Given or bought they still cost a fortune. You would be wise to treat any gift from the khanum with the utmost respect.”

 

Erik scoffed and began to slightly nudge Nadir’s horse away from him. “A gift from the wretched hag is about as valuable as a broken quill. Yet even a broken quill still has its uses.”

 

As Erik and his horse trotted along, Nadir hurried along his own horse before feeling the tap of small fingers on his shoulders.

 

“Papa, if Erik isn’t riding his horse, may I ride it?” The child asked.

 

Nadir sighed, glancing at the tall figure of Erik. “I don’t see why not. Go and ask him.” He grunted.

 

“Erik! Can I ride your horse?” The child hollered, both horses being a tad spooked by the sudden loud noise. Nadir immediately shushed the boy and looked at him sternly. “Reza, Be quieter!” he whispered harshly, “Your voice is magnified tenfold by this bloody mess of foliage and if you keep yelling one of the horses could dash off on us!”

 

Reza lowered his head slightly in shame. “I’m sorry, Papa.”

 

Erik, who had been secretly eyeing the exchange, stopped his horse again and signaled for Reza to get upon his horse. Reza nodded and was assisted to the top of the horse’s vacant saddle.

 

Half an hour had passed before the horses had reached a sandy clearing where a dull echo of rushing water lingered in the air. Reza’s face was bent into a wide smile as he looked over the vast expansion of coastline that was before his eyes.

 

Nadir, now dismounting himself from his horse, held Reza’s hand and smiled. “I thought we could all use a break from the busyness of Tehran and the palace for one day. So I had convinced the shah to grant us a day off.”

“That is, with me sacrificing a _week’s_ payroll.” He mumbled begrudgingly to Erik.

 

This made Erik give a small chuckle as he helped Reza off of the horse. As soon as he was put down, he made a haphazard attempt at a running start towards the water before stopping just at the boundary where the blue waves crashed against the sand. “Papa! Can I go in it? Please?” The boy’s hopeful eyes were locked onto his father.

 

Nadir looked to Erik. “I must go find a suitable place to tie up the horses. Could you watch him while I am gone? Once I return I shall make some tea for the three of us.”

 

“I was told we were _sightseeing_ . Not _swimming._ ” Erik grumbled, fixing his suthan.

 

“Just indulge the boy while I’m away? You do not have to get in the water if you don’t wish to.” Nadir pleaded. “Perhaps you can _try_ to enjoy yourself? For his sake?”

 

“If only it were that easy, Daroga.” Erik replied, before walking through the sand to accompany the boy. Nadir rolled his eyes before leading the two large horses back into the forest.

 

Reza, who was now rapidly undressing down to his undergarments began to usher Erik towards the water’s edge. “Come on, Erik! Come play!”

 

“I would prefer to stay dry but I will watch you from the land, per your father’s wishes.”

 

Reza shrugs and runs to some nearby flattened rocks and jumped into the water with a scream of delight.

  
  
  
  
  


The child seemed to have frolicked and splashed in the water for eternity before Nadir had finally returned and begun brewing some tea, thus relieving Erik of his sentry duty. Just as he was walking back to the towel for tea, he heard Reza’s shrill little voice call out, “Erik, come here!”

 

Erik sighed and returned to Rea’s side. The child’s ars were full of different kinds of shells with some broken and some intact. “Could you hold these.. These _things_ for me?” He asked, holding out the pile to Erik. “Do you not know what they are called?” Erik asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

Reza shook his head, now plopping the shells into Erik’s opens hands one-by-one. Erik stopped him as shells were deposited into his hands. Kneeling down in the sand, he used one hand to scoop a small hole and instructed Reza to do the same. “We’ll drop the shells in here, so neither of us have to carry them around.”

 

“Shells…” Reza echoed back. “Can you stay here while I look for more?” he asked.

 

He looked over his shoulder to Nadir, who was gesturing his head to the sand. Erik softly huffed and sat down next to the hole. Reza smiled before hurrying off towards the sea’s edge, burrowing his hands in the wet, malleable sand. He occasionally looked up to see Reza making trips back and forth depositing any new shells he had in his arms.

 

While Reza searched, Erik finally had a moment to simply take in his surroundings. The sun was beginning to dip into the horizon, painting the sky in hues of dark orange and lavender. The salty breeze mingled its way across his skin and the surface of the mask. The smell of the salt seemed to burn his nose slightly, but that couldn’t be less of a problem for him right now. His eyes were closed until he heard the calls of seagulls perched on nearby rocks. Their sound erupted to a crescendo as rocky waves splashed against the surface, soon followed by the sound of flapping wings and their cries distancing themselves from the shore.

 

He knew Nadir had been resting from afar while he quietly sipped on Chai tea and enjoyed a good book, a few lengths from where Erik had been sitting.

 

“Erik! Erik, look!” Reza’s voice hollered from the water edge. He was holding out a large pink shell in his small hands and his expression swelled with triumph. Erik’s eyes widened at the enormity of the shell and hoisted himself upright, dusting the sand from his trousers.

 

“Quite a fine specimen.” Erik remarked, as water lapped as his shoes. He guided Reza back to the hole of which was now nearly overflowing with shells he had discovered.

 

“What’s this one called?” Reza asked eagerly.

 

Erik faintly recalled reading his mother’s fantasy books as a child about people using siphonal canal shells as a way to hear the ocean. Yet, he’d read other books about human anatomy which debunked that the ‘waves’ was actually just the sound of blood flowing through one’s ears. Erik figured he’d indulge Reza’s whimsical imagination with the fable of hearing the waves of the ocean through a shell… Perhaps even a voice...

 

“It’s called a conch shell.” Erik stated while Reza’s eyes were fixated at the shell. He leaned near the boy’s ear and whispered. “I hear that they’re magical.”

 

“Are they really?” Reza shouted, his gaze meeting Erik’s.

 

“Shh. It’s a _secret magic_.” Erik stood up and walked a few paces away from Reza. “Put it to your ear.”

 

Reza obeyed and put the shell to his ear and closed his eyes tightly.

 

Erik softly smirked and threw his voice just enough to where his words seemed to be coming from inside the shell. “Hello, Reza.”

 

The young boy put down the conch and laughed. “I can hear you!”

 

Erik chuckled as well before quickly looking to Nadir, who was absentmindedly lost in his reading.

 

“That’s not all it can do. Put it back to your ear.”

 

Reza did so once again, awaiting a sound to emanate from the shell.

 

“You would be surprised how many people you can hear through a conch.” It wasn’t Erik’s voice that came through the shell. Instead it was Nadir, _his father’s_ voice come through the conch.

 

Reza’s eyes widened into saucers as he bolted over to his father. “Papa! Papa!” he exclaimed, handing the shell to Nadir. “You’re in the shell too!”

 

Nadir book was knocked out of his hands and replaced by the large damp conch shell. He looked at Erik with narrowed eyes. He was still near the hole of shells several paces away from where Reza had come running from. He stood solemnly with the same small mischievous grin on his face that he’d seen many times before. If his knowledge of Erik didn’t already hint to what he was doing, he’d ought to retire from being a Daroga in fear of a deteriorating cognitive functionality and lack common sense.

 

Reza grabbed his father’s hands holding the conch and put it to his ear. “Listen!”

 

There was a pregnant silence as Nadir awaited whatever noise Erik would put in the conch.

 

 _“_ _"Thbpbpthpt_ _!”_ He blew a raspberry into the conch shell.

 

Nadir groaned and rolled his eyes before putting the conch back into Reza’s hands.

 

“What did it say?” Reza asked intensely.

 

He noticed the incessant dripping of Reza’s garments nearly splashing the open pages of the book and sufficiently wetting the towles he stood upon. “It said for you to get away from the towels because you are as soaked as a fish.”

 

Reza giggled delightedly and walked back to the hole with the conch, carefully setting it atop the others before hopping back into the water.

 

Nadir stared at the ever darkening sky as the sun retreated below the sealine. “Reza, it’s getting late. We’ll need to leave soon,” he yelled towards his son, Reza making an upset noise at the remark.

 

He sighed in defeat. “30 minutes, young man! And nothing more!”

 

Erik briskly walked to Nadir and sat down near him. “The tide is coming is faster. It’d be wise to watch where he swims.”

 

He nodded in agreement and offered Erik a cup of tea.

  


-

 

-

  


The sun had nearly fully submerged below the sea, the lightest bits of light purple is streams across the now clouded skies. Reza began to hop off of the rocks into the darker waters in various ways to draw Erik and his Father’s attention. He stood atop one of the obsidian colored stones and saw a silvery fish whisk below the rocks. Carefully, he dipped his legs into the water and followed the strange shape into slightly deeper parts of the water.

 

He had to crook his neck above the passing waves as the water enveloped most of his torso. The salty waves splashed in his face and into his mouth, making him stop to spit out the rancid taste of seawater. He began to feel the pull of the waves on his legs and he began to lose sight of the shining fish.

Frantically turning around and looking to the shore, a strong wave struck his back and sent him under the water. The current took hold of his body and plunged him under the dark surface. His body was thrashed beneath the waves and he could feel the ground below him.

 

Another blast of current thrust him up above water, making him gasp for air. His eyes stung and he tried to find where the shore was, but all he seemed to find were dark billows of water surrounding him. Reza, in a panic, screamed out for help and hoped his father or Erik would come help him. The water took him down again and the breath in his chest whittled away. He shut his eyes tightly just waiting for it to be over.

 

-

 

-

 

“Reza!” Nadir screamed with his hands cupped around his mouth, “Reza, where are you?”

 

The sounds of his son’s screaming was echoing in his mind as his eyes darted worriedly over the shore as he tried to locate the sound.

 

Erik, now at his side, noticed the faint thrashing in the water about 30 or so meters away from the shallows Reza had been diving from before. “There!” He pointed with a long bony finger, now running to the shore’s edge with Nadir close behind him.

 

“Erik, he isn’t a strong swimmer… He has never been in water over his shoulders before…” Nadir said with terror.

 

“Well can’t you swim?!” Erik demanded angrily, to which Nadir only shook his head while his face paled in fear.

 

He stood for only a moment before taking off his mask and dropping it in the sand. With a running start, Erik sprinted over to a substantial pile of rocks, hopped atop the largest stone, and dove into the water-- still fully dressed.

 

Though his eyesight may have been keen in dark surroundings above water, being below was a different situation. His eyes were thinly opened and his vision was met with particles of sand and rushing water. His robes seemed to pull against him as he swam in the water with blind hope that he was going in the right direction.

 

His lungs burned as he swam through the darkness, knowing he couldn’t hold his breath for much longer. With one great push, he lunged himself to the surface, trying to spot any sort of splashing. He could just barely see Reza above the waves, his body then being enveloped by water once more. Erik took a large breath, dove, and fought against the ruthless current.  


As he approached Reza, who was now slowly sinking in the water, bubbles escaping from his lips. In a last burst of stamina, Erik thrust himself towards the boy and did his best to swim him to the surface. The boys eyes were shut tightly, to which Erik briefly sighed in relief.

 

Reza began to cough and Erik tried to hold him above the water.

 

“Reza, listen to me. Keep your eyes shut and hold on to my robes.” Erik commanded in a somewhat raspy, yet calming tone.

 

With another cough, Reza nodded and grasped firmly onto the back of Erik’s black _Kandys._ Using the very little strength he had left, he swam towards the shore, getting multiple mouthfuls of water shoved into his gullet.

 

Feeling the sandy bottom of the shallows, Erik pushed one last time to get them to the shore. Reza,eyes still clenched shut, let go of Erik and into the awaiting arms of his father.

 

Nadir carried his son over to the towel, patting his back as he coughed and wheezed violently.

 

Erik clawed at the sand, weakly pulling his exhausted body across the dry surface and towards a pile of toppled rocks. Using one hand, he shakily tried to steady himself up onto his feet before falling to all fours again and retched up saltwater.

 

The sting of the salt made every pore on his face flush with an indescribable heat and his nasal cavity seared with a burning sensation he’d never felt before, forcing to breathe heavily with his mouths through periods of retching. Every muscle in his face felt tense as he watched a small puddle of vomit and sea water pool around his hands.

 

Moving out of the way of the pool of filth, he let his aching body collapse to the sand and roll to the side. His chest heaved up and down for several minutes until footsteps approached his side.

 

Nadir stood above him, offering a hand to help him up.

 

“The mask…” Erik coughed out quietly, pushing away his hand.

 

“It will restrict your breathing.” Nadir countered, offering his hand again.

 

“Daroga…”

 

“I said no, Erik.” He said strictly. “Your health is what matters right now.

 

Erik’s eyes were dark and bitter despite the exhaustion he was in.

 

 _“Just hand me the damn mask.”_ He growled coldly.

Nadir hesitated before pulling out the porcelain mask from his coat, and setting it in the sand next to Erik’s head.

 

Erik’s shaky hand reached out to grab it and affix it to his head. He sighed and interrupted by a coughing fit, rolling over and spitting up more water and saliva. Sitting up, he dismissed Nadir with a wave of his hand as he looked across the lightless horizon.

 

Minutes felt like hours as he stared into the ripping waves and the shivering of the moon’s reflection in the water. His face still stung under the mask as if scorpions had laid siege to his cheeks and jaw, still trying to get the taste of bitter saltwater out of his mouth.

 

A warm familiar hand was placed on his shoulder as he spun around slowly.

 

“Watch Reza while I fetch the horses.” Nadir requested calmly.

 

“I assume that involves me going over there?”

 

Nadir said nothing and only helped Erik to his feet, leading him to the towel where a reclothed Reza sat, gazing upward at the faintly glimmering stars strewn about a thinly clouded sky.

 

When he noticed Nadir had entered the forested path, Erik sat down next to Reza and looked up at the stars with him.

 

He suddenly felt Reza’s small head softly lean into his shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry.” Reza said, his voice barely a whisper.

 

“Whatever for?”

 

“You got all wet.”

 

“I assure you that is the least of my concerns.”

 

They felt the sea breeze brush against them. Reza coiled further into Erik’s shoulder and chest.

 

“The ocean is scary, Erik.” he whimpered, “I don’t ever wanna go back…”

 

Erik let the boy hold him, as he was hesitant to return the gesture. He tried to be as sympathetic as he could in comforting the poor boy by using one arm to keep him close to his body.

 

“It’s not that scary,” he began, “we just came at an inopportune time when the water was stronger.”

 

“Did we make it angry?”

 

“No,” he tried to think of a way of explaining how the tide worked. “See, when it’s night time, the water just becomes stronger since the moon is out. Perhaps we could come back earlier next time?”

 

Reza shrugged. “Okay.”

 

The two continued to watch the stars above them until Reza spotted a creature skittering across the sand near the water’s edge. He flinched slightly and slid backwards in the towel. “Erik! There’s a spider!” he cried.

 

“I’m quite sure that’s a crab, Reza.” Erik laughed, “It means us no harm. Watch what happens when the tide comes back up.”

 

Reza nodded and waited for the water to come surging back up. The waves went over the crab and when it receded, the crab had disappeared.

 

“See? There’s nothing to worry about. It was probably just looking for other crabs to be with.” Erik reassured.

 

“Like a family?”

 

“...Perhaps.”

 

Reza went silent for a moment before looking back at Erik’s masked face, which gleamed in the dim light. “Are we a family, Erik? You, me, and Papa?” Reza asked with his head cocked.

 

Erik paused for a moment and looked back over the sea. “I suppose.” He concluded.

  


“So would that make us brothers?”

 

“I guess it does.” Erik shrugged indifferently.

 

“So am I the older brother or younger brother?”

 

“The younger.”

 

“Nuh-uh!” he whined, “I’ve known Papa longer! I’m the older one!”

 

“I’m afraid that’s not how that works.” Erik chuckled, “I’ve lived longer than you, therefore I am the older brother.”

  


Reza opened his mouth to argue, but slowly closed his mouth and tightly hugged Erik. “Well then I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”

  


The clatter of horse shoes could be heard behind the pair as Nadir approached with the two horses they rode upon. Reza spun around excitedly and hugged his father around the waist, with Erik slowly approaching behind. Nadir gathered the towels and supplies before climbing onto his own horse. Erik lifted up Reza onto his father’s saddle instead of his own horse.

 

“I thought you were walking?” Nadir pointed out.

 

“I think I’ll ride back. I’m utterly exhausted.”

 

Nadir chuckled and set off the horses into the forest path.

 

Crickets chirped in the distance as the horses went down the muddy path once more.

 

As they rode back, Reza tapped his father on the shoulder. “Papa! Erik and I are brothers now!”

 

“Are you now?” He asked jokingly, looking over to Erik, and was pleasantly surprised to see him with a genuine soft smile under his mask.

  


“So then who is the older brother? You or Erik?”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
